By Caroline Kelley | Staff Writer
It is 7 a.m. on Feb 25th. It is 52 degrees and especially foggy today, making it hard to see down Victoria Avenue as I head to a small beach at an intersection of the Cliff Walk beyond Carey Mansion. I am accompanying juniors Kevin Onofreo and Tyler Torelli on their weekly test of the ocean water. These two, among other board members of Salve Regina’s Protect Our Wildlife Club, collect water samples each Thursday morning to obtain consistent samples, which are then sent to a lab in Providence where they undergo various tests to determine whether the water is clean. Torelli pulls on waist-high gaiters and walks stra
ight into the thrashing ocean. As he is knee-deep in the water trying to collect samples, an incoming wave knocks him over. Torelli emerges from the water, drenched, and goes over data with Onofreo. Scanning the water, Torelli tries to determine whether or not to go back in. Today’s waves are intense: “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Torelli says. Due to harsh conditions, they will not get their sample today.
While this excursion may sound demanding, it is not unlike many of the activities the Protect Our Wildlife, or POW, club does on a regular basis. The club’s executive board consists of Co-Presidents Sara Johnson and Matt Mascari, Vice President Tyler Torelli, Treasurer Brittany Fox, Secretary Autumn Houghton, and Public Relations Coordinator Kevin Onofreo. Salve’s Protect Our Wildlife club meets every other week to discuss ways in which they can make our campus and community more ecologically friendly. So far, they have worked with several offices on campus including Admissions offices, Alumni offices, and the office of Student Activities to eliminate the usage of balloons, which are hazardous to animals when released or thrown away.
The club also hosts a monthly beach cleanup in Newport. February’s cleanup totaled 31 pounds of garbage including 6 or 7 lobster traps. These cleanups take place at the small beach on the Cliff Walk off of Marine Avenue; anyone is welcome to help. POW also plans to work in coordination with Mercy In Motion, Salve’s spiritual leadership group, for an Earth Day beach cleanup in April.
On SRU Day, POW presented a poster on beach cleanups, trends, and changes in our local environment. For earth week, the club will host a panel on April 20th including local environmental experts. The panel will focus on sustainability, the University’s strategic plan and what the community can do for our environment, as well as our current effect on our surroundings.
Salve Regina POW plans to adopt a sea turtle through WWF, attend a whale watch, and continue to spread the message on the dangers of balloons, hopefully eliminating their use altogether on campus. To learn more or become involved in protecting our wildlife, visit Salve Regina POW on Facebook or @salve_POW on Twitter.
